The End of a Beginning, The Beginning of an End
by OceanLover4712
Summary: Sometimes you get trapped, trapped in something that does nothing but hurt, something turns your bright views of the future into a dark monochrome world landscape. And there's no way to get out of it. But maybe, just maybe, that last part isn't entirely true.
1. Chapter 1

The day started out normal enough, a sparkling sun, slight breeze, crisp clear air. The type of day that tricks you into thinking everything is gonna be great, that nothing bad could possibly happen while the birds are singin' that sweetly. Of course, people often say the worse comes when you least expect it. My name's Will and this is my take on what happened August 19th, that fateful day last Monday.

* * *

"Good mornin', Mama," I said walking into the kitchen.

"Good morning, Will." she smiled and handed me a plate of pancakes. "Any plans for today?"

I shook my head, last I checked Lou Ellen was still on vacation with her family and Cecil was off with his brothers on 'A top-secret confidential business trip' Which I didn't believe for a second, they were probably off causing trouble like they always do. Cecil would be back in a couple of days and Lou would be back by the end of the week, but until then I had nothing to do but sit and watch paint dry.

Mama sighed sympathetically, "I'm sure you'll find something to do, sugar. Go for a walk, explore, clear your head, tell me if you see anything interesting"

I considered it for a second, I had nothing better to do and if I stuck to a simple path and didn't go anywhere I don't go on a weekly basis, I probably wouldn't get lost. I smiled, "That sounds like a great idea, Mama."

"Well hurry up and eat then, so you can get on your way. And stop moping around." She demanded making a shooing motion with her hands.

"Okay, Mama." I laughed as I shoveled pancakes into my mouth. After finishing my food and cleaning my dishes, I quickly went to my room and tried to make myself look at least halfway decent. Unfortunately there seemed to be nothing I could do about my hair, Lou Ellen claimed it looked "Good in a messy kind of way" she said that most people would find my messy blond hair quite attractive, but honestly, I could care less. Despite being fifteen I wasn't really desperate to get a date, I mean if I find the right person sure, but I didn't care as of now. As long as my hair didn't look like a rat's nest I was good. I quickly slipped on my flip flops and went back into the kitchen.

"Bye, Mama," I said giving her a hug.

Mama kissed me on the cheek, "Bye, sugar. Stay safe."

I smiled at her before leaving the house and heading down the street. Almost exactly a year ago we moved out here to New York City and I still wasn't sure where I was 90% of the time. I didn't like the city much but we had to move up here from Austin, Texas because Dad found a business deal he couldn't refuse. If you asked me, I just think he was anxious to get back to his hometown. I couldn't fathom why he liked the city so much, but I suppose it's not the worst place on Earth. I didn't know what he did for his job but I hardly ever saw him despite us living in the same house.

I sighed as I pushed passed a crowd of people, there weren't many quiet places you can find in the city that never sleeps, but luckily we lived within walking distance of Central Park. I liked the park, it was pretty peaceful if you got far enough to be away from the crowds, and I actually felt like I can breath when I was there. When we first moved up to the city, before I met Lou and Cecil, I would spend hours alone just lying on the grass, gazing up at the sky and letting my thoughts wander. Before I would come out to the park every day just to escape, now it's different. My idiot friends have shown me some of the best parts of this side of the city, and I'm much more adjusted. But I still like to come here sometimes, just to breath for a while.

I was almost to the park when everything started to go downhill. It wasn't noticeable at first, just a minor annoyance that I brushed off as nothing. But within minutes I couldn't ignore the sinking feeling that was growing in my chest. Something was wrong, very, very, wrong. Before I knew it I was turning around and heading back to the house, and my unease continued to grow. Within minutes I was sprinting down the crowded streets.

It only took me 6 minutes of shoving past people and non-stop sprinting to finally get home. I skidded to a stop in front of my house breathing heavily. I didn't know what felt so wrong, nothing appeared weird on the outside. But I learned never to ignore my instincts, especially when they're this strong. Before I could contemplate what I was doing, I opened the door and barged into the house. And suffice to say, I was not prepared for the sight that greeted me.

Mama was kneeling on the floor, hands above her head, tears in her eyes. Standing a few feet away holding a gun was a boy that couldn't be any older than me, probably even younger. He had a black bandana tied around his mouth and nose so all you see were his eyes, a deep, dark, brown that seemed to suck the light out of the room. His face was framed with black messy hair that seemed to be made of the shadows themselves, somehow this made him even more terrifying. The boy's eyes snapped toward me, his gun instantly pointing at my heart.

He glared at me, "Shut the door and get on the ground." Suddenly the gun was pointed back at Mama. "Or I'll shoot."

I didn't need to be told twice, in the blink of an eye the door was closed and I was on the ground. I looked over at Mama, she was shaking with soft sobs emitting from her mouth, her hair now falling in a curtain down her face. I didn't know why this guy was here, or what he wanted, but I did know that Mama was everything to me and there was no way I was gonna let some random guy take that away.

"What do you want?" I asked looking him straight in the eye.

He looked down at me, "It's simple, really. All I want is one little necklace, just let me take it and I'll be on my way. No trouble, no pain, and no unnecessary struggle." His voice was strangely melodic, his dark eyes bore into mine as if searching my very soul for answers.

I glanced over to see how Mama was faring, her sobs had subsided but she seemed to be shaking worse than before. I didn't understand what the guy wanted, why break into someone's house and hold them at gunpoint for one little piece of jewelry? To my knowledge, Mama didn't even own any necklace other than the one she always wore around her neck.

The marauder fixed his gaze back on my mother, "Now where is it?" His voice held anger and a silent threat, but his eyes seemed to hold something akin to remorse. "I know you know what I'm talking about, a little sun pendant? Gold inlaid with silver? Ring any bells?"

Now I was certain he was talking about Mama's necklace, Dad's gift to her on their wedding day. It wasn't a terribly expensive necklace, probably only cost 'bout a hundred dollars, cheap for most things. But Mama had worn it for as long as I could remember. Why he wanted it so badly was something I just couldn't figure out.

"I- I have it." Mama's voice shook almost as much as her hands. She reached back and unclasped the necklace from around her neck, the robber walked over and took it out of her hands. He held it up to the light and inspected it before nodding his head, satisfied in what he saw.

"Thank you." His words would've felt genuine if he still didn't have a finger on the trigger. He pocketed the necklace and looked us over once more before heading for the door, his hand froze on the knob before he turned back around. "Don't call the cops, it was just one simple necklace. Calling the cops will make things much, much worse. Trust me." And just like that, he was gone.

And then to top it all off, I once again did something without any thought and ran out onto the street after him. Something just felt wrong about him, forced. And apparently my legs decided to get up and running long before my brain could even begin to comprehend what had happened. I heard Mama scream my name as I burst through the door, but it was nothing but white noise, my sole focus was on the boy. Something just felt wrong, he was only a kid and yet seems so used to holding a gun, his words were harsh, but his eyes sometimes spoke the opposite. Everything about him seemed forced like he didn't really want to do this.

He stood only a short distance from me, his eyes wide with shock before hardening into a glare. I put my hands up and walked toward him slowly, glad that his gun was now tucked away. "You don't have to do this you know."

He continued to glare at me, "Like you would know anything." His words were harsh, but I didn't back down. I didn't know what I was doing or saying, the words just seemed to pour out of me as if they had a mind of their own.

"There's always a way out of something," I spoke softly as I would to a cornered animal. "There are people who can help you."

His eyes studied me as if I was something he has never seen before, his gaze once again hardened before he turned on his heel and started walking away. He only made it a few steps before he stopped and looked over his shoulder. "You don't understand anything; go back to your mother, comfort her, and pretend none of this ever happened." And with those words he walked away, blending into the shadows like he was never there, to begin with.

* * *

Sometimes I wonder why the sun has to be so bright, why little sisters have to be so annoying, and why beds always feel more comfortable when people are demanding you get out of them. My name is Nico di Angelo, and this is my account of what happened on August 19th, the day everything changed.

* * *

My morning started out like many others before it, I woke up to Hazel yelling at me to get out of bed while simultaneously trying to wrestle her slipper out of Cerberus's mouth. After giving up on her slipper and several futile attempts to get me out of bed, she finally spoke the fatal words.

"Nico come on!" She groaned, hitting me with a pillow. "Dad says he needs to talk to you!"

Those words chilled my blood and got me up even faster than the promise of McDonald's ever could. Within less than a minute, I was dressed and heading downstairs. I could sense Hazel's confusion, but she seemed to shake it off pretty quickly.

My father was sitting at the dining table dressed in his usual suit, drinking coffee. Hazel was somehow already sitting in front of a plate of bacon and eggs, she kept sneaking little scraps under the table, much to Cerberus's delight. I could hear my step-mother, Persephone, in the kitchen cooking.

I met my father's eyes from across the room, his steely gaze threatening to break through every wall and facade I had carefully placed, exposing all my secrets to everyone who wanted them.

"Nico," His voice was flat and emotionless.

I nodded my head respectfully back in response, "Father."

"Eat your breakfast, Nico," He said, rising from his seat and grabbing his mug of coffee. "Then come and see me in my office."

I lowered my head as he walked past and only started walking toward the table once his footsteps faded away. I ignored Hazel's questioning look and started dishing bacon onto my plate, I didn't have much of an appetite but I knew I may need the energy later. Persephone came in and handed me a glass of orange juice, I refused to meet her eyes, already knowing they would be full of pity, I've always hated pity.

I finished breakfast as quickly as possible then started my way upstairs. Once I reached Father's office, I paused for a second to gather myself. Squaring my shoulders and taking a deep breath, I opened the door and walked in.

He was lounging in a chair behind his pristine mahogany desk, he glanced up as I entered and gave me the same look he does every single time I enter into this room. I already knew the routine, though each time I come in here I hope it's different. Something every kid does, like cleaning my room, or walking my dog. Unfortunately, my hope always amounted to nothing and I was sent on another of my Father's tasks. Stuff that I hated to do so, so, much. But of course, there was no way I could refuse to do them.

Father gestured to the seat in front of him, "Nico," My name was spoken as a command. "Please take a seat."

I did as I was told, I knew if I disobeyed even the simplest of orders, there would be punishment. I lifted my head and looked my father in the eyes, "What do you need me to do, Father?"

He knit his fingers together and placed them down on the desktop, "All I need you to do is steal a necklace."

I couldn't control the look of surprise that must've shown on my face, "A necklace?" It seemed so easy, so simple, I half expected him to tell me I had to kidnap, or kill, someone, their entire family, and their cat, in order to obtain this piece of jewelry.

Father nodded his head, "A necklace."

"Why?" Normally I never would've asked a question like that, but I was so genuinely confused, I couldn't help it.

Luckily he didn't seem to mind, "An old acquaintance of mine is back in town and has been testing my boundaries as of late. I just want to make sure he knows that I'm still here, that I'm not one to be messed with." He slid a piece of paper over to me, "Here's the address, along with a description of the necklace. Be quick and efficient, we don't want to cause any more trouble than it's worth."

Now this made a lot more sense to me than just randomly stealing a necklace, Father has always been the type to go to extreme measures to intimidate people. At least it seemed like a pretty easy job, the only real struggle being not drawing attention to myself during broad daylight. I studied the paper, the address wasn't too far from here, only about a twenty-minute walk, and the necklace was just a little sun pendant on a silver chain.

Father cleared his throat just as I finished memorizing the design of the pendant, I looked up and he gestured for me to leave. Once I left his office I went straight to my room to grab my stuff, just a small pistol, lock picking tool, and black bandana to obscure my face. They could all easily be tucked away in my jacket until I got to the destination, it wouldn't do well to be walking around in New York City with a gun out in the open. I went downstairs and was halfway out the door before I heard Hazel speak up.

"Nico?" she sounded confused, "Where are you going?"

I scrambled for an excuse, Hazel knew me pretty well and pairing that with the fact that I have to sneak out a lot, there's not a lot of good excuses I could use. She started looking at me funny, so I decided I better start talking. "Oh, um. I'm just, you know. Shopping?" She didn't look convinced; I mentally cursed myself for not coming up with something that actually made sense, I've always hated shopping and Hazel knew it too. I smiled in a hopefully convincing way.

Hazel just shook her head, "Whatever brother, just stay safe." She came over and have me a hug before skipping back to the couch to finish whatever weird show she was watching.

I let out a breath as I closed the door behind me. It was getting harder and harder to lie to Hazel, she was only a year younger than me and knew me inside and out, I could already tell me would be interrogating me when I got home. Unfortunately, you couldn't exactly lie to a thirteen-year-old and say you're going to Mars, or back in time to see the dinosaurs, so basically all my usual excuses were out the window. Luckily I had plenty of time to figure something out, there was no way I was ever going to tell my little sister what was really going on. That was part of my deal with Father, I do what he says without hassle, he doesn't get Hazel involved.

I expertly maneuvered the streets, going much faster than people normally could, such a skill was needed for my, or more correctly my Father's, line of work. What exactly that line of work was, I wasn't entirely sure. I knew it evolved threats, and stealing, and breaking people down until you knew every little secret about them. And though I hate to admit it, I carry a gun around for a reason. I didn't like to think about what the gun was for, or the times I'd pulled that trigger and painted the floor crimson. Even thinking about it now made me feel sick. Years and years ago my friends and I used to joke about my father, back when I still talked with them, we used to say he was scary enough to be a mob boss. But it seems we were a lot closer to the truth than we could've ever imagined.

Soon, I found myself nearing the destination. I mentally prepared myself to enter, schooling my face into a mask of indifference, making my eyes shine with silent threat, and changing my stance to one much more imposing. I sunk in the shadows a few feet from the front door and tied my bandana around my face, hiding as much as I could with it. After a few calming breathes I walked purposefully toward the door, hoping it would be unlocked if it wasn't things might get a bit more difficult. Apparently luck was with me, the door swung open easily.

"Will?" A voice sounded from somewhere within the house. It sounded like a woman's voice, possibly the owner of the necklace. I closed the door behind me and silently pulled out my gun.

"Will, is that you, sugar?" The speaker had a slight southern twang. Will must be her husband, or maybe her son.

I heard her footsteps start coming toward me, so I steadied the gun in my hands and got ready. The person stepped into my line of sight and gasped, her hands instantly going up in front of her as though they could protect her. She looked to be a woman in her early thirties, her light brown hair cut to just below the shoulders, a small scattering of freckles dusting her cheeks, her blue eyes were wide with shock. I took a small step forward and put on my best glare.

"Get down and put your hands up," I made my voice has hard and dangerous as possible. "Do exactly as I say, and there shouldn't be a problem."

She slowly started kneeling, keeping eye contact with me the entire time. I could feel the fear and uncertainty radiating off of her in waves. That was a good sign, if someone feared me, they would be more likely to cooperate. And if a person cooperated, they wouldn't end up getting hurt.

The woman was looking up at me, tears threatening to spill out of her eyes, her hands had begun to shake. When she spoke, her voice wavered like a candle in the wind. "Why are you here?"

I opened my mouth about to answer when the door suddenly burst open. Standing there was a young man looking only a little bit older than I was, he was out of breath with his eyes darting around, taking in the scene. He had golden blond hair, and eyes just like the woman kneeling on the floor, I assumed he must be Will, the person I was first thought to be.

I was startled but quickly recovered and positioned my gun at his heart, "Shut the door and get on the ground," I knew I had to act fast, if someone on the street had seen what was going on, or this Will guy decided to try and fight back, things could get ugly. My mind scrambled for an easy answer, and suddenly it clicked. I pointed my gun back at his mother, knowing he would listen now. "Or I'll shoot."

Quick as a flash, the door was closed and he was on the floor, his eyes hardened when he looked at me; when he spoke, his voice was angry and determined, "What do you want?"

I kept eye contact with him, noticing the spark of fear and quick glances he continually have his mother. "It's simple, really. All I want is one little necklace, just let me take it and I'll be on my way. No trouble, no pain, and no unnecessary struggle." I meant what I said, if I could get this necklace without hurting anyone, I would be ecstatic.

At my words, the woman seemed to shake even more, though her son just seemed confused. I forced my voice to become more threatening, the quicker I got out of here, the better it was for everyone. "Now where is it? I know you know what I'm talking about, a little sun pendant? Gold inlaid with silver? Ring any bells?"

I saw Will once again look over at his mother who to my surprise spoke and started reaching behind her neck, "I-I have it." Her hands shook, but once she got the necklace off, she held it out to me. I gratefully took it out of her hands and help it up, making sure the design lines up with the one Father showed me. I was almost surprised when it did, this has been almost to easy.

"Thank you," I was surprised in my self for saying this, but I meant it, they had made this really easy. I started walking toward the door, pocketing my gun as I went, but stopped with my hand on the knob. I found myself turning around and speaking a few parting words to them, "Don't call the cops, it was just one simple necklace. Calling the cops will make things much, much worse. Trust me." And with that, I turned back around, pulled my bandana around my neck, and walked out onto the street.

Of course, I wasn't prepared for Will to come barreling out after me only seconds later. I froze and stared at him before glaring. Just when I thought I had gotten off easy, this happens. He put his hands up in surrender before taking a few small steps forward.

"You don't have to do this you know." His words were soft and understanding, the last thing I expected to come out of his mouth.

I was taken aback but quickly masked it over with hatred, "Like you would know anything."

Despite my words, he continued on, "There's always a way out of something. There are people who can help you."

His words seemed to strike me right at my core, I had a visceral urge to run into his arms and tell him everything. Why he said that to a stranger, a stranger who just held him and his mother a gunpoint, was something I couldn't grasp. I tried my best to shake off his words before glaring at his one last time, "You don't understand anything; go back to your mother, comfort her, and pretend none of this ever happened." I turned around and fled into the shadows and streets of New York City, trying my best to pretend his words weren't repeating over and over again in my head.

That night, his words continued to haunt me. I paced around my room for hours trying to get them to leave.

_There's always a way out of something._

_There are people who can help you._

I took a shaky breath debating about what I was about to do.

_A way out_

_People who can help_

I picked up my phone, finger hovering over the call button. Finally, my finger pushed down and I held my phone to my ear. The caller picked up on the first ring, his voice seemingly wide awake despite the late hour. But I knew better, he went to bed every night at eight o'clock, eight forty-five when he was feeling wild. I resisted the urge to laugh, already hating the hot tears pooling in my eyes from hearing my self proclaimed brother's voice the first time in nearly two years.

"Nico!?"

"Hey, Sparky," My voice caught. "I know I haven't been around lately, it's a long story." I could practically hear his surprise and shock on the other side of the line, "Got any time for it?"

**So, um. Sorry for that rushed trash fic... It was for a prompt my friend gave me and also a school assignment so I apollogize if it was terrible, I tried. It was one of the longest things I've ever written though, so that's good! Reviews are always welcome! Have a great day, or night! Goodbye!**


	2. Chapter 2- Will

**So I got kinda bored and wrote another chapter... I don't know if anyone even wanted another chapter but whatever, here it is. Please review so I know what you think. All constructive criticism is allowed. But seriously, please review. Enjoy! **

**Will POV**

I don't remember going back inside, but I found myself right next to my mother. Her face was streaked with tears, her eyes red and tired. She was still on the floor, and I soon joined her there. The shock of what had just transpired finally settled into my bones and now even the prospect of standing seemed impossible. Burning adrenaline that had once been strongly pumping in my veins was gone now, leaving behind only a dull aching numbness.

Part of me still hadn't fully processed what just happened, and from the look of Mama's face, neither had she. We both just sat there for a while taking solace in each other's presence. After what could've been days or minutes, Mama stood up and took a deep breath.

"Want some hot chocolate?"

Her voice was soft and rough, it reassured me. After a couple seconds I nodded and stood up, following her to the kitchen.

It was a sorta tradition of ours, whenever one of us was sad, angry, hurt, or just having a bad day, we would make hot chocolate. I watched Mama scurrying around the kitchen, grabbing some mugs and cinnamon, shaking up the whipped cream. Her hand shook as she measured out the chocolate powder, finding the perfect water-to-chocolate ratio. Wanting to comfort her but not knowing how, I simply say there. A steaming cup of goodness was soon in front of me, it was exactly how I always like it, just a little bit of whipped cream and a whole spoonful of cinnamon.

Mama sat down next to me and looked down into her drink. I took a small sip of mine and together we sat in silence. The silence was comfortable but I knew it wouldn't last. I looked over at Mama, her lips were pursed and her eyebrows were all scrunched together. It wouldn't be long before she voiced the questions crowding her brain.

I was right, just a few seconds later, the silence was broken.

"Why'd you do that, Will?"

Confused, I answered the question with another question, "Do what?"

Mama looked at me exasperated, "Run out after the guy. Why'd you do that? What did you even do it for?"

"Oh," I searched my brain trying to figure out exactly what I was thinking at the time, of course I came up empty. Nothing told me what I was thinking or if I had a plan at all. My legs were moving long before my brain even knew what was going on, there was never any thought to what I did. "I don't know, my thoughts were all over the place."

She shook her head, suddenly looking very tired, "I was scared, Will. I didn't know what your were doing, or if you were gonna get hurt trying to do it," Her shoulders sagged. "I was so scared for you. I wouldn't be able to handle you getting hurt, I can't even think what would happen if I lost you."

That struck me, I hadn't realized how irrational my actions were until now. Heck, I ran after a guy who was holding us at gunpoint just seconds before. And for what? To tell him some encouraging words on the slight chance that he wasn't totally evil? He could've pulled out his gun and shot me then and there.

And yet, I didn't completely regret what I did.

"I- I'm sorry. I guess I didn't realize what I was doing."

Mama looked over at me and slowly shook her head, "I'm just glad you're safe, that we're both safe. But what _did_ you do?"

"I just talked to him," I took a sip of my hot chocolate. "Told him something he probably needed to hear."

She still looked confused but didn't press me for more. Suddenly, I felt the need to change to subject a bit.

"What's gonna happen now? Are we gonna call the police?"

There was silence, Mama sat there sipping her drink for a while. Finally she met my eyes and answered.

"No. No, we're not calling the cops. The boy said it would make it all worse and I believe him," she touched the place where the necklace once sat. "Besides, it was just a piece of jewelry, there are much more valuable things in this house."

I nodded my head, unsure what to say.

Mama stood up and put on a small smile.

"Come on, sugar. Let's go grab some snacks and watch a movie together, I'll let you pick this time."

That got me smiling, movie nights were always fun even if it technically wasn't night. Grabbing some coke and a bag of chips, I made my way to the couch. After scrolling through movies for a while I finally decided on The Westside Story, it was kinda weird at parts but Mama and I both loved musicals and this was one of my favorites. As soon as Mama joined me with a big bowl of popcorn, I started the movie.

We watched the film in silence, the only sound coming from the television or us eating. The silence was comfortable though, it felt nice to just sit there. The musical was two and a half hours but the time seemed to slip by much quicker, before long it was over. We both just sat there, neither making a move to get up. After a couple minutes, Mama cleared her throat.

"How about we take a quick break and watch another?"

"Sounds great," I smiled and stood up, "What do you wanna watch?"

Mama stood up next to me and stretched, "Why don't you turn on Heathers."

Laughing, I picked up the remote, "You always wanna watch Heathers."

"Who doesn't?"

That was true. So I put on Heathers, the plot was a tad to dark for my taste but it was one of Mama's favorites. She loved it so much she told me that if I was a girl, she would've named me Heather. I didn't know what to think of that, but I guess I'm glad my name isn't Heather, especially after actually watching the film.

After setting up the movie, I went into the kitchen to grab more snacks. Soon, we were back in front of the TV. We stayed there for the rest of the day, watching movies, eating snacks, laughing, and having a good time. We ordered pizza for dinner since neither of us wanted to cook, and before long it was dark. Still, we both stayed in the couch.

But, about halfway through Pitch Perfect 2, the door knob started shaking. Mama and I froze and looked at each other, both on edge. I knew it probably wasn't another robber but that didn't stop my body for tensing up and my heart from skipping a beat. We just stared at the door, waiting for it to open, not knowing what to do. Then the knob started turning and the door swung open.

Revealing my dad standing behind it.

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding and felt Mama relax next to me.

"Hey, guys," His eyes scanned the living room, a playful grin on his lips. "I see you've had a fun day."

Shock coursed through my body, not only from the irony of what he said, but also from the fact that he was here. Normally, he'll tell us when he's coming home, and after not seeing him for almost two weeks, I was surprised.

Mama seemed surprised too, she was staring at my dad with wide eyes, her jaw slack. Dad also must've noticed our shock because he glanced around, confusion written over his face.

"Um," Dad's voice faltered. "Guess I should've called ahead?"

A tired laugh escaped Mama's mouth as she stood up to greet my dad. She went over and hugged him, kissing him quickly before turning to look at me.

"Will, sugar. Why don't you go to your room while I tell your father what happened?"

Dad's face grew more confused at her words, he looked at me in bewilderment but I just shrugged and picked up my blanket (which I had brought out sometime during the first Pitch Perfect movie) before heading to my room.

Once I in my room, I wasn't quite sure what to do. Checking my phone for messages, I layed down on my bed. The only message was from Lou Ellen, it was a picture of her and her older brother, Alabaster, at the beach. I debated whether or not to tell Lou and Cecil about what had happened. Part of me didn't for reasons I couldn't really put my finger on, but the part that did want to won over and I ended up texting them both about it in the group chat. The details about the robber were left out though, the way his actions felt forced, how his eyes would portray something different from his words, what I said to him. All those details felt too personal, like a deep, dark, secret that should never see the light of day, something that shouldn't leave the people involved, something even I shouldn't know.

My thoughts were interrupted when shattering glass sounded from the living room.

"Lester!" Mama's voice filled the house, "Calm down!"

I jumped out of bed and crept toward the door, I wasn't gonna lie, when I first heard the glass, it scared me half to death. Dad must've not taken the news very well, reacting much angrier than I expected. He's usually a really chill guy, not the type to break stuff when he's mad, not the type to really get mad in the first plac. But I suppose our situation is something to get vexed about, although I have seen him keep his head in much more anger-inducing situations.

In the kichen, Dad was sitting at the table with his head in his hands and Mama was sweeping up the glass on the floor. Dad must've heard me because he looked up when I entered.

"Hey, Will." He looked at me concerned, "Are you doing okay?"

It took me a second to answer, surprised at the compassion in his words. We've never had the strongest relationship, heck, I barely knew anything about him. Despite being almost identical in looks, our personalities often clashed.

"Um, yeah." I tried to hide the surprise in my voice. "Are you- are you okay?"

"Yeah," he ran a hand through his hair, "Just a little angry is all."

Awkwardly, I nodded, not sure what to do.

Tucking the broom next to the fridge, Mama sighed, "Will, sugar, how about you go to bed. There's nothing to worry about, and you've had a long day."

"Okay, g'night Mama," I looked over at my dad, "Dad."

He nodded but barely seemed to register what I had said, his eyes were distant and unfocused. So I started my way back to my room.

After brushing my teeth and changing into pajamas, I was in bed and staring at the ceiling. I could tell already sleep wasn't going to come easily, there was far to much in my mind. Like any my father was acting so angry, why the robber seemed so off, why everything just felt weird. But after a while sleep finally came, and my troubles were forgotten.


	3. Chapter 3- Nico

**So here's another chapter! Still don't know if anyone even wants this! So yeah, please review so I know how I can improve! **

He was sitting on a bench when I found him, sitting there anxiously tapping his fingers on it, electric blue eyes darting around the park, picking up every small movement and turning his head toward even the smallest noise. His glasses occasionally caught the sun, sending little flashes of light like Morse code, his close-cropped blond hair was almost white from so much exposure to the summer sun. Despite his alertness, he didn't see me until I spoke.

"Jason."

It was a single word but it had it's desired effect. His head snapped toward me and suddenly he was off the bench standing just five feet away, his eyes glued to me. He looked at me as though I was a friend he hadn't seen in years, which I suppose I was.

"Nico."

His voice was just above a whisper. After a moment he strode forward but stopped just in front of me, his arms hanging at his side as if he didn't know what to do with them. I gave him a small smile, and apparently, that was all the encouragement he needed because the next thing I knew he had his arms wrapped around me in a warm embrace.

"I missed you." Jason's voice was kind and gentle, the same voice he always used on me when I was sad or hurt. "I've worried about you ever since you just cut off connection with us. We all have."

I nodded into his chest, my voice too chocked with emotions to say anything. Thinking about my old friends and the reasons I left them always brought back a wave of hurt, hurt I didn't like dealing with.

After a moment we broke apart, Jason smiling brightly despite the tears glistening in his eyes, and I found myself struggling to keep whatever composure I had left.

"So, you said you had a story?"

Nodding my head, I stood up straighter and looked around. We were somewhere in the middle of Central Park. While calling Jason the night before, I realized that telling him about everything over the phone with my father just down the hall was impractical. So we met at the park, me under the synopsis that I was simply going to the library.

Glancing around I noticed that there were quite a few people, I didn't like people very much, especially when I wanted to have a private conversation. Jason was still just standing next to me, looking at me for answers, answers on why I left, and why I was contacting him now. Though I liked to ignore it, I can also see the hurt in his eyes, buried under layers of concern and bittersweet memories.

I knew Jason was waiting for an answer, an explanation, so I cleared my throat. "Let's go somewhere else. There are too many people."

He also must have come to this realization, his gaze following every person the crossed our path. "I know a McDonald's that's normally pretty empty." A smile brightened his face. "We both know how much you like McDonald's."

I feigned annoyance, "Like you can say anything, Sparky. Eat any good staplers lately?"

He groaned, "You guys won't ever get over that, will you?"

"Never."

Despite myself, I started smiling. I missed this feeling, this carefree playful banter that used to be part of my everyday life. Those small things you didn't realize were so important to you until they're wrenched from your grasp and shattered on the floor. We started walking down the path, both of us in comfortable silence, lost in our thoughts. I could only imagine what Jason was feeling right now, it's been next to two years since I burned all bridges with him and the others. A long, hard, two years.

But even my best efforts couldn't rid my memories of Jason's phone number, I had memorized it four years ago when he first gave it to me. Back then I was lost, confused, and so _angry_. Jason found me wandering the streets one night, I didn't know him and he didn't know me, and yet when he saw me outside his window that night he ran out into the street to talk to me. He gave me his number and told me to call if I ever needed anything. It only took four days for me to contact him, and it only took five months after that for me to start seeing him as an older brother.

It was awkward when I was first introduced to all his other friends, not only were they older than me, but Jason was friends with Percy. The same Percy that I still had a very large grudge against. Eventually all that was put behind us, and I grew close with everyone in our group. But leaving Jason more than any of the others.

I found myself relaxing next to Jason as we walked, my usual tense and imposing demeanor simply gone, calmed by his presence. I could feel his gaze on me now, his mind probably brimming with questions. After a small while, we made it to the edge of the park, just a stone's throw from the street.

A realization made me stop just a few steps down the sidewalk.

"You know Jason, I don't think this is the type of conversation to have in a McDonald's."

He slowly blinked, the realization just now dawning on him. "Oh. Yeah, you're right. McDonald's might not be the best place for this."

He thought for a second, anxiously tapping his fingers against his leg. "We could go to my apartment. It's not like anyone will be there."

I looked at him in exasperation, "Then why didn't we just go there in the first place?"

He shrugged, "Hey don't blame me, I was still freaking out over the fact that you contacted me, that I was _talking_ to you. Besides, you probably knew the apartment was empty just as well as I did, it's your fault as much as it is mine."

Well, I couldn't argue with that. It was probably illegal, but Jason practically lived on his own. His father paid the rent and gave him money, but that was where it ended. Occasionally Jason's sister would pop by, but even that was rare. It was fun sometimes, he had complete jurisdiction over everything, no one to tell him he couldn't do anything. But I also knew how lonely it could be. Lucky Percy's mom saw Jason has a second child so he was over at their apartment a lot.

After we had changed directions and started walking toward the apartment, Jason decided he didn't want to walk in silence anymore.

"A lot has happened since you left." His voice was soft again, gentle. "Stuff that would've been so much better with you there too."

I looked over at him, but his eyes were focused forward.

"Like, Leo accidentally himself on fire and just stood there while we all screamed until finally rolling on the ground. And I finally asked Piper out, she said yes just like you said she would, we've been dating for over a year now. Then there was that time Percy tried to make dinner and set the kitchen on fire." His voice seemed distant, his eyes still trained ahead. "It would've made it so much better if you were there too. We still always ask each other if maybe it was something we did, or said, to make you leave. We still always wonder where you are or if you're okay. We all still miss you."

For the second time today I had to hold back tears, I knew I had missed so much, that they would all wonder what had happened for a while. But hearing it out loud and knowing they all still care made me realize the extent of what I've missed, the hurt and worry I've caused. I wasn't prepared to feel this much emotion.

Jason's eyes were on me now, waiting for me to say something.

"I didn't-" My voice faltered and I took a deep breath, "I'm sorry. So, so, sorry. I didn't want to leave but I had to. I'll explain it all when we get there, but none of this was your fault or any of our other friends. "

He just nodded and stayed silent, remaining that way until we reached the apartment. Somewhere in that time, the atmosphere had grown tense, neither of us knowing what to say or do, both just silently walking.

By the time the door was unlocked and I'd walked inside, the tension had only grown. Jason walked past me and sat down on the couch, I hesitantly set down next to him.

"So," I made eye contact with Jason. "Where do you want me to start?"

He didn't hesitate to answer, "Why did you leave? Why did you just cut off contact the way you did."

"It was because of my father," My mind scrambled to find a way to phase exactly what had happened. "He forced me to break contact, saying it would help me one day, that it would be easier that way. I didn't want to, but there was no way I could've argued with him. I tried at first, I tried to protest, but it didn't last long." I looked down at my hands, knowing if I looked at Jason he would be able to see the self-disgust in my eyes, the shame I felt from giving in, for not fighting hard enough. I could easily guard my voice, but my eyes were a different story.

"Why- why did he make you do that though?" Confusion and distress were clear in his voice, "I mean, your dad isn't the nicest. But I didn't think he would force you to ditch all your friends."

"It's complicated Jason, really complicated." I let out a small laugh, meeting his eyes. "If you want we could just end it here, you would have some closure on why I left, and maybe I could still come to see you sometimes. Or, or I could tell you everything. But I don't know how you'll react, or what you'll do, or what you'll feel. It's so much bigger than you realize, Jason. So much more complex."

Jason was silent, searching my eyes for answers. He was obviously surprised at my tone, at how serious the conversation just got, he knew something was wrong but that couldn't have prepared him for this. Finally, he took a breath. "I want to know Nick, I want to know what's going on with you."

"Okay," I let out a breath. "Okay, but if you change your mind after I tell you. If you decide that you don't want to have anything to do with this situation. Or if you don't want to ever see me at all. That's okay, I can leave and you can pretend none of this happened, that you never heard anything."

Now Jason looked extremely concerned. "Nico, no matter what you say, I'm not just gonna leave you and forget about it. You're my friend, I care about you, I care about what happens to you. So tell me, what's been going on?"

I shifted in my seat, "You know how we used to joke about my dad? That he was scary enough to be a mob boss?"

Jason furrowed his brows, "Yeah, why?" I looked up at him, waiting for him to make the connection. "Oh, _oh. _Wait, what? That's not- There's no way- You have to be joking." He ran a hand through his hair. "_What?_"

I understood his disconcertment, what I had just suggested was ludicrous, if Jason wasn't in shock, I would be worried.

I gave him a small smile, "I don't quite know what it is, but it's definitely along the same lines."

"You-" Jason struggled to make any sense. "Do you- Is that why he made you leave?"

I nodded, "He probably made me leave so that I wouldn't tell you guys about it so that you wouldn't try to help me out of it."

Jason drew in a long stressed breath, "Does he ever make you do stuff? Or do you just know what your dad does?"

"He- he sometimes makes me do stuff." Jason opened his mouth about to say something, but I cut him off. "Sometimes it's not too bad, just stealing something, or threatening someone. But other times- other times it's really bad." My voice got softer, "Really, really, bad."

Jason opened and closed his mouth like a fish, trying to settle on something to say, "Well you- You don't want to do it right? And you- you feel guilty and terrible when you do these things right?" I slowly nodded and he continued his spiel. "Well, that means you're still a good person. It's not your fault, your being forced to do it, and you regret it. That means you're still good inside." He said this with such certainty that I was surprised, but before I could say anything, he continued, "But what do you mean by really bad? What's the- what's the really bad stuff?"

I tried not to think too much about the bad stuff, but I still answered his question, "Well, sometimes- sometimes I have to get information from people, and if they don't give it up we have to make them, in painful, _painful, _ways. And other times- other times I've kidnapped people, taken them away from their families and their lives for whatever reason my father wanted me to." Burning guilt choked my voice, "I've destroyed people's lives, Jason. Tore their family and life apart right in front of them. And I've never really tried to fight back, not with Hazel still here."

"Hazel? Does Hazel know?" That seemed to be the only thing Jason could grasp right now so I answered him.

"Hazel doesn't know and I plan to keep it that way. And if I do try to defy my father, he'll get Hazel involved."

He nodded hesitantly still trying to process everything. "I'm not gonna lie to you, Nico. I'm not sure what to feel right now. What you're doing is undoubtedly wrong, but- but you're being forced to do it. And you hate it, so you're still a good person. But it's still- it's still just hard to understand. You get that right?"

I let out a shaky breath, "Of course I get it, Sparky. It's still hard for me to understand sometimes, and as I said earlier, you can always just pretend I never said anything. But- but there's still more. I've-" I brought my knees up to my chest. Flashes of silver and red flickering behind my eyelids, I chocked out the next part, and as much as I liked to push back this memory, I felt the need to tell Jason. Its something he deserved to know. "I've killed someone before, Jason. _I've killed someone._" My voice was barely above a whisper but from Jason's sharp intake of breath, I knew he'd heard me. By now I'd given up on holding back my tears and just let them flow freely.

I knew nothing could excuse what I'd done, and I and done something terrible, something unforgivable. I had taken someone's life, and that was something you couldn't give back. Sure, my father forced me on the mission, yeah, I regret it, and most of it was in self-defense when he came at me with a knife. But that doesn't change what I did, nothing ever will.

I was terrified of Jason's reaction but I still looked up and found him gaping at me, perhaps wondering if he had heard wrong. It wasn't every day your friend from two years ago shows up and tells you he killed someone. He was probably in shock and disgusted and horrified at what I'd just confessed to.

"You-" Jason's eyes were still big but know he blinked them about every second. "Oh gosh, Nico. What have you gotten yourself into? I don't- I don't know what to do. I want to help but- Gosh, I just- I just need time to process this."

I had mostly expected this answer but I wasn't sure if he was going to kick me out or not, though I wouldn't be surprised if he did. My answer was short, leaving no room for emotion. "Okay."

Jason was looking back at me now, "I just- just let me process all this. I'll meet you tomorrow back at the park, same time, same place. But right now I need to try and make sense of it all."

I bit my lip, his answer was a better than I had hoped, "Okay, see you tomorrow I suppose."

I was just about to walk out the door when Jason pulled me into a quick hug, "Stay safe, Neeks."

I stayed in his embrace for one-second longer before pulling away, once again biting back tears. "You too, Sparky."

And for the first time in a while, I could feel hope blossoming in my chest.


	4. Chapter 4- Will

I knew something was gonna go wrong the moment I got out of bed, it was just type of day where you can feel impeding doom breathing down your neck. Although yesterday I felt fine and the day turned terrible, so maybe it was all reversed and today was gonna be wonderful. So with no way of truly knowing what the day was gonna hold, I walked toward the kitchen with my head held high.

Or at least I tried to, I ended up tripping and falling on my face about halfway down the hall.

When I got to the kitchen, I was the only one there. I usually wake up pretty early so it would make sense if everyone else is asleep, but Mama usually woke up even earlier than me. It's probably from the stress of yesterday though, stress always makes you tired.

I just stood there for a second before getting out a bowl and pouring myself some cereal, cereal felt like normal food and right now I wanted to feel normal as possible. The shock of yesterday was still settled deep in my bones, but I tried my best to shake it off. Sitting around in shock all day wasn't gonna help nobody, it was best just to go about the day like normal.

I know its unhealthy to block out traumatic events, but this one wasn't as traumatic as most situations so just living normally was probably for the best. If we all started doing everything with fear and shock, it would make the aftermath much worse than it has to be. I don't know how Mama's gonna act or if Dad will still be freaking out, so I might as well try to keep my own head.

By the time I'd finished my breakfast, it was only 6:23 so I did what any reasonable person would do. I went back to my room grabbed my phone, a pair of headphones, and a battered old book. Plugging the headphones in, I started scrolling through my playlists, finally settling on the _Hamilton_ soundtrack. Once I got my music playing and my book opened I was lost in my own little world. Unfourtantly, I couldn't stay in that world forever.

Around 8, Mama walked into the kitchen in her pajamas and slippers. She looked over to my sprawled form on the couch and let out a small laugh. "G'morning, sugar."

I looked up from my book, "Mornin', Mama."

She walked into the kitchen and grabbed some bagels from the pantry. "Sleep well?"

Nodding, I stood up. "Yeah, surprisingly."

Mama smiled softly, "That's good."

I could tell the same couldn't be said for her, she had dark circles under her eyes and looked like she hadn't slept a wink.

"Is Dad still here?" My question was an honest one, despite Dad only coming home late last night, I wouldn't be surprised if he was already gone.

Mama pursed her lips and shook her head, "No, he left early this morning."

I raised my eyebrows, I've been awake since just after sunrise. Dad must've left long before the sun was even up. "Huh."

I'd seen it coming but it was still strange how short his stay had been cut. Brushing it off has nothing, I glanced back over at my mother. To be honest, I was kinda worried for her. She was taking the whole experience a lot worse than I expected. I was pulled out of my thoughts when Mama spoke.

"How 'bout we get out of the house, Will? We're about out of groceries any way."

Well that was the opposite of what I expected, I thought maybe she would've been paranoid to leave the house after this but apparently not. I quickly agreed with a curt nod.

She smiled, "Then go get ready, Will. Daylights burning."

Smiling, I rushed to comply her orders, apparently Mama wasn't as shook up as I feared. Once in my room, I quickly threw on some clothes and set my phone and book on my desk. After slipping on some mint green flip flops and brushing my teeth, I walked back to kitchen.

It was at that moment I realized it was a little stupid of me to rush so quickly, I wasn't the only one who had to get ready, and most people take longer than seven minutes to make themselves presentable. With the extra time I wasn't quite sure what to do, so I just sat there and waited. And waited, and waited, and waited. And then to top it all off I waited some more.

And now I was anxious.

It felt like it had been much too long.

Where was my mother?

What was taking her so long?

Was she okay?

Was something happening?

Why was she not done yet?

A million questions swirled in my mind, crashing into each other and exploding into a million shattered pieces.

And then all the paranoia comes to an abrupt halt.

My eyes were drawn to the clock and the small hand, which had only moved by ten minutes.

Now I felt completely idiotic.

And it was at that moment Mama walked back into the room.

She must've noticed the strange look on my face because she looked at me funny, "You okay, sugar."

I let out a long breath of air, "Yep, just wonderful." I gave her a small smile, it obviously didn't convince her but she didn't push.

"Well then." Mama clapped her hands together and smiled. "Let's go."

I jumped up and followed her to the door, watching has she grabbed the keys before waking out and locking the door. She probably didn't want me to, but I couldn't help but notice the way she checked the door a couple times, making sure it was thoroughly locked.

The closest store was about three blocks away, a reasonably sized walk. Not too short, but not so long that your arms will fall off from holding the bags. We were both silent, neither of us really wanting to fill the city with our voices. Maneuvering through the crowd was a lot easier than it normally was, which was strange, but nice. I could Mama was thinking the same thing, she kept glancing around like she couldn't believe we hadn't been run into yet. Maybe we'd just gotten used to the people, or maybe it was amazing luck. Whatever it was, I was grateful for it.

I was about to open my mouth to say something when I was sharply grabbed by the arm and yanked into the side alley. I could hear Mama yell out. A sharp pain expanded from my temple, everything suddenly went black and the world faded away into nothing more than a distant idea.

* * *

When I woke, the first thing I registered was the pain. A deep, pounding pain in my head. Then, I noticed rope secured tightly to my wrists, binding them together like I was some sort of animal. After that, I picked up on the bag around my head making it near impossible to see, or breath for that matter. And lastly, I came to realization that I was sitting in a chair.

What wonderful things to be awaken to.

Then the panic settled in.

Had I just been kidnapped?

One second I was on a crowed street in broad daylight, and then I was being pulled into an alley.

How?

There were many people in the street, how had no one noticed?

I knew at least Mama screamed.

So was she ignored?

Did no one see?

Would if Mama was hurt, maybe that's why no one helped.

Those thoughts swirled around in my brain, turning everything to mush and nonsense.

What I just couldn't understand is how no one saw or heard me get pulled off the street. And Mama's scream, how did it all to unnoticed?

It could've been minutes or hours before the sound of footsteps reached my ears. They were loud and heavy, accompanied with another pair that were even louder. The steps stopped on either side of me, and they waited only a second before grabbing me by the arms and hauling me up. My sense of direction was no help as they dragged me in circles and through doors and hallways.

By now I was terrified, I didn't know what was going on or what was gonna happen. If I was even gonna survive. So when they unlocked one last door and throw me into it, ripping the bad if my head in the process, I wasn't sure if I should be scared of relived.

I appeared to be in a cell of sorts, bars for a door, dark and cold walls, small cot and toilet. Just an average cell. And again I wasn't sure whether this was a good or bad

I sat on the floor for a minute, listening to the people's footsteps slowly fade out. I was scared, I had no clue what was happening, maybe it has something to do with the robbery that was only yesterday despite it feeling much, much longer. But I was also worried, not for myself but for my mom, who knows where she could be now. I just wanted this nightmare to end.

My ears caught on to more footsteps, this time only enough for one person. They were soft yet confident, a strange but intriguing combination. They got closer until I could see the owner of them, and when I met their eyes, I was struck with recognition.

Dark eyes stared back a me, assessing every little thing on or around me. He didn't speak, just looked onward with a deep sorta resignation. Before turning on his heel and walking away.

My eyes followed him wondering where he was going, what he was doing here, and if he had anything to do with my current predicament. I hoped he didn't, I liked to imagine that he really took my words to heart. I was probably just fantasizing though, and it's hard to stay positive when you're stuck in a cell.


	5. Chapter 5- Nico

I wasn't planning on stopping at the warehouse before meeting back up with Jason, but my feet took me there anyway. Surprisingly, I wasn't nervous to talk to Jason again, whatever he decided or thought was okay with me. Whether he hates me now or wants to help is entirely up to him, so I was prepared for either option. But I wasn't prepared to find myself standing in front of a warehouse, one I knew to belong to my father.

I only hesitated a second before pushing open the door and walking inside, a couple heads turned toward me but I just sauntered past, looking straight ahead. No one would question anything as long I didn't show any form of weakness or confusion. Besides, I technically had a right to be here, although Father would probably not want me here at the moment.

Not sure where I was going, I just followed the small pull in my chest, leading me down a hall I didn't know existed until now. A couple guys passed me on my way, they were loud and obnoxious joking about some poor guy who they had apparently just thrown in a cell.

That made me mad, but I didn't let it show. If I did, someone would definitely question me, they were probably already suspicious on why a fourteen year old was here. Of course, if I told them who I was they'd leave me alone, but it would draw even more attention and that was the last thing I needed right now.

I found myself in a poorly lite corridor, standing in front of a single cell. Blue eyes stared at me through the bars, the same eyes I'd seen only two days ago. They were startled and confused, like a cornered animal. They didn't hold the fiery determination of anger that I removed them to have. I don't know what compelled me to come here, or why. But it must be here for a reason.

Emotions swirled around in me, some unnamed, some painfully obvious. There was anger, anger at my father for putting him through this. I had stolen from him just a couple days ago, held him and his mother at gun point, and now he's been kidnapped. My father said I'd stolen the necklace to remind them of who he was, he wanted to intimidate them. So why was the blond boy here now?

There was also, sadness. A sadness akin to pity, over the fact that he had to go through this. That his mother had to go through this. I just hope they wouldn't do anything worse than keep him in the cell until someone, presumably his father, payed a ransom.

And there was also... Protectiveness? I was confused at that one. Maybe it was because of what he said to me, the fact that he tried to help me, that he did help me.

He still looked up at me, his expression lost and scared. I looked at him a second more before turning and going back the way I'd come. By now Jason was probably wondering where I was, the warehouse was a long detour from Central Park. But I wasn't quite done here yet, I wanted a few answers. I would have to be smart about it though, ask the right questions to the right people.

So I looked for the people I passed on my way down to the cell. They would probably know enough to get me some answers, but not have a high enough rank to tell Father about my inquiry. It took only three minutes for me to locate them, and it took them a whole thirty seconds for them to realize that I was standing right in front of them.

Their conversation dwindled away and the one of the right glared at me, "What do you want, kid?"

His voice was harsh and annoyed, so I glared right back, "Why's the new blond kid here? The one in cell 3B."

The guy in the left crossed his arms, "That's none of your business, and by the looks of it you probably shouldn't be here in the first place."

"I probably have more of a right than you do, so please, tell me why he's here." The last part I growled out, my voice low and threatening.

They both stared at me, glaring, trying to get me to back down. But I held strong and made my glare more imposing, they lasted a full thirteen seconds before cracking.

"Fine." They looked at each other, then looked back at me. The right guy spoke, "If you really want to know he's here because his dad decided to try and threaten us. Beat up a couple of the guys, threatened our whole system, yelled a lot. So we were ordered to take his son, didn't want him thinking he could get away with that sorta thing."

I gave them a curt nod, "Thanks."

Their eyes followed me as I walked away, watching my every step before I was out the door and on the street.

Jason was probably getting tired of waiting, if he hadn't already left. By the time I get to Central Park it'll be about two and a half hours past our originally planned meeting time. I hoped he was still there, and that he didn't think I ditched him. If he was there I would most defiantly get a strong talking to from him, just like an older brother would give. That is if he doesn't hate me.

I decided to take a less direct route to the park, it was much quieter with a lot less people, although it was slightly longer. I figured since was already late, ten minutes wouldn't matter in the longer run. I forced my mind to become blank as I walked, sometimes thinking could be dangerous and I didn't fancy going down the wrong train of thought right now.

Time flew by and suddenly I was just minutes away from the spot we agreed to meet at. I stood up a little straighter and walked the final stretch. It wasn't long before Jason was in my line of sight, pacing back and forth, mumbling under his breath. A little weight lifted off my shoulders from seeing him still there.

His pacing came to a halt when he saw me, blinking a few times before opening his mouth. "Nico." My name came out sharp and quick, "Where were you?"

He sounded angry, but also it seemed, a little worried. I suppose that was a good sign what he was worried about me, unless of course it's worry that I was going to kidnap him or something. I figured he wanted an answer so I gave him one, "Sorry Jason, guess I got a little sidetracked."

He was now staring at me like I was stupid, "Nico, you can't tell someone that their father is a freaking _mob boss _and than show up hours past when you said you'd meet them. You just don't _do _that."

I defiantly wasn't prepared for him to say that, and apparently standing in place and gaping didn't count for a proper response.

"Nico," Jason sighed. "You have to think about stuff before you do it. I was worried."

"Oh." Something warm blossomed in me, it had been a long time since someone other than Hazel had genuinely been worried about me.

Jason scoffed, "Yeah, oh. Now come one, we can take a walk and talk during that."

Nodding, I started following him down the path. He didn't wait long before speaking, leaving no room for tense silence to grow.

"I did a lot of thinking last night." He let the words drift away a second before speaking again, "About what you said, what you did, what you feel."

His words were distant, but grounding. He continued on, "I didn't know what to feel at first, it's not an easy thing to process. But I really thought about it, and I thought about all I know about you and all I know about the situation. And- and I want to help you, Nico. I want to help get you out of this mess."

I was speechless for a second, the whole reason I had contacted Jason in the first place was for help. But it was in a moment of impulse, and in the aftermath I doubted he would actually agree. I don't know what I did to deserve Jason has a friend, but one day repay him for all he's done.

I looked up at him and spoke, my voice soft, showing emotion I normally hide. "Thanks, Jason. That means a lot more than you realize."

He smiled at me, "So, before we come up with some plan to fix this whole situation, I want to know. Where were you before this? You're not one to get sidetracked like that."

I wish I could answer that, but I still wasn't quite sure what had come over me. Something seemed to pull me toward that cell, the cell holding the exact person that tried to help me. It didn't make any sense.

And yet it felt right.

It felt like I was there for a reason.

An important reason that I failed to grasp.

Like there was something to it that I couldn't see.

Jason was still waiting, so I gave him the best answer I could, "I was at one of my father's warehouses, I didn't plan to go there, but that's where I ended up." Shrugging, I glanced at Jason.

He had a perplexed look on his face, but waited a moment before questioning. "Why? What did you do there?"

I drew out a breath, "I don't know, but I ended up in front a cell."

"A cell?" Jason's voice was a little shaky, probably still probably processing the severity of my father's work.

I nodded, "Yeah, a cell. There was someone in it, a boy probably only a year older than me. The same one that unknowingly urged me to call you." Despite looking ahead, I didn't miss Jason's questioning look so I continued on. "It was just a few days ago, the same day I called you. I was sent to steal a necklace from his mother, held the both of them at gun point. Father wanted to remind them that he owns this city." Jason blinked a few time at my statement but didn't comment.

"He stopped me before I left." I scoffed, "Ran out after me like he had some crazy death wish. Told me there's always a way out of something. I don't know why he did it, he had every reason not to, but he did. And now I'm here with you and he's in a cell."

Jason sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Nico, don't blame yourself. I'm sure you have nothing to do with the reason he's in there, right?"

"Yeah, I guess." He gestured for me to continue on, so I obliged. "He's in because his father freaked out when he found out what had happened. Apparently he knows or has a history with my father, because if he didn't he would not have known it was us who stole the jewelry. They'll probably let him out after some time or make his father pay a ransom."

Jason appeared put off by my matter-of-fact way of speaking. "Wow, well. Um, that's unfortunate."

I looked over at him, and when I spoke my voice stayed monotone, "Yes, Jason. It's most unfortunate."

He scratched his head, looking sheepish. "Sorry, it's hard to know what to say sometimes."

"It's fine, Jason. I get it." He looked relived at this, like not knowing what to say was an unforgivable crime.

"So," He met my eyes, his voice sounding more serious than before so I played rapt attention. "It sounds like this boy may be the start of a solution."

The confused me, "Huh?"

He cleared his throat, "Well I figured we should start small, fix little things while we come up with a grand plan to down the whole system."

"Like, what?" Unfortunately I was still confused, but his use of _we _opposed to _you _did not go unnoticed.

"Well," Jason's eyes lit up like they always do when he explains something. "Would if we start by repaying that kid for his kindnness, free him without them figuring you out. It might be hard but it'll be worth it. And after that, we can work on helping other prisoners and sabotaging some stuff. Eventually we'll come up with a good plan and hopefully put a stop to this forever, but for now I think it's a good idea to start with the one who helped you. Even the smallest things matter."

I smiled, my mind already swimming with possibilities. "This sounds like a wonderful plan. I love it."

Sure the plan may be dangerous but for once I had hope and a friend backing me up. Yeah, risk would be heavily painted everywhere, but that just makes it more fun. Already a plan was forming, and there was not a single safe certainty about it.

Jason must've noticed the look in my eyes, because he rushed to add another condition, "You have to keep yourself safe too, Nico."

I sighed, I had expected that so I started forming a new plan, something safer, but in no way easier.


	6. Chapter 6- Will

_Drip. Drop. Drip, drip. Drop._

It was an interesting rhythm, and despite all my time trapped in the cell, I couldn't figure out why it was like that.

I mean was water supposed to sound like that?

_Drip. Drop. Drip, drip. Drop._

Unless someone was specifically controlling it to drip like that, there was no way it should do that.

It should go drip, drip, drip, drip.

_Drip. Drop. Drip, drip. Drop._

It doesn't make sense for it to make different sounds, or go at different speeds.

Hours must've gone by and all I've done is try to figure it out.

_Drip. Drop. Drip, drip. Drop._

It wasn't like there was anything else to do.

The cell was pretty boring.

_Drip. Drop. Drip, drip. Drop._

To make matters worse I had "Yorktown" from _Hamilton_ stuck in my head.

I didn't know how much longer I could last until I was driven crazy.

_Drip. Drop. Drip, drip. Drop._

The water came from a little corner, falling down from the roof.

There was a small puddle there.

_Drip. Drop. Drip, drip. Drop._

Despite it being late, I couldn't go to sleep.

At least I think it was late, it felt like it was with everything dark and everyone asleep.

_Drip. Drop. Drip, drip. Drop._

I wondered if Mama was doing okay, if she was safe.

As long as she was okay, I would be fine.

_Drip. Drop. Drip, drip-_

"Hello."

On instinct, I froze. It was to dark to see anything more than silhouettes, but I was certain I hadn't just imagined that voice. I forced my eyes to the cell door and sure enough I saw the outline of a person. Straining my eyes, I realized that that there was another person behind the first, he was taller and more hidden in the shadows.

"Hey."

The voice was urgent but soft. I slowly sat up, my sight not leaving the people. A memory tugged at me, the voice sounded somewhat familiar, but I couldn't place it.

"Look," the person at the door gripped the bars and leaned forward. "We're gonna get you out of here, but you need to listen to everything I say."

The words weren't threatening, they almost sounded caring. I stood up and slowly and started walking toward the door. It all sounded to good to be true so I stopped and looked at them for a second, "How do I know I can trust you?"

The one at the door spoke, "You don't, but I'm trying to repay a kindness."

That confused me, but I took another step toward them. It was then that I was able to make out more features on the people. And I recognized one of them.

It was the same guy from the robbery, the same guy I saw standing in the exact same place he was now but hours earlier. My eyes widened and he must've noticed because he stepped away a little.

"Don't worry, I'm just trying to help you like you helped me."

His voice was sincere, but I was still cautious. Finally, I decided I might as well go for it. I walked the last few steps to the bars, "Okay."

He appeared to smile as he gestured to the other person, "Jason, hand me the keys."

The other guy, Jason, handed him the keys. He turned to back to me, "Watch out, I'm gonna unlock the door."

I stepped back as he inserted the key and fiddled with the lock for a second. It clicked and he pushed the door open.

"Come on, let's get you out of here." He glanced at me one more time before walking down the hall. I stood there a second before quickly following him, Jason falling in behind me. Despite my long legs I had to jog to catch up. He stopped at the corner and quickly peaked around, it must've been clear because he motions us forward.

It continues like this for a while, we all stay silent as we walk. My mind whirled, confused at what exactly was happening, and why. When I said those words to him days ago, I didn't expect to be repayed for it, and I certainly didn't expect to get kidnapped the next day.

But I was here now and the same guy that had robbed me was rescuing me.

What a strange world.

I almost ran into the black haired boy when he abruptly stopped. He turned around and held a finger to his lips. Walking ahead a few steps, he looked around before waving his hand foward, Jason and I followed slowly. After a second it became apparent why we were using extra caution, the door was right in front of us but someone was asleep in a chair next to it.

I was about to step forward again but Jason grabbed my arm, stopping me. I looked at him in confusion, but his eyes weren't on me, they were on the guard. The chair he sat in creaked as he shifted, filling the previously quite room with noise. Luckily it stopped and he appeared to still be asleep.

Another noise drew my attention, the sound of a metal door being opened. I could see outside now, I could feel the night air blowing softly on my face.

"Come on now, let's get you home."

I nodded but my eyes never left the view of outside. My arm was released and I walked toward the door, stepping out into the gravel driveway.

Jason walked out after me, glancing back to make sure his companion was coming. He was, he slowly closed the door behind him, locking it and pocketing the keys.

"So," His voice was much more real than it was when he held me at gun point, not forced or fake. Real. "I'm sorry for all that, the necklace and now this." He stuck out a hand, "I'm Nico by the way. And my friend behind you is Jason in case you didn't already catch that."

I shook his hand, maintaining eye contact, "Will. Thanks for getting more out of there."

He scoffed, "Of course. Besides you helped me so I'm repaying it."

I moved to speak, but Jason cut me off. "We should probably get moving, I don't think it's smart to hang out here."

Jason was right, so we all started walking, Nico leading the way. I was to his right, just a step behind him so I caught up until we were side by side. I waited until he looked at me before I spoke.

"Why'd you save me? You said you're just repaying, but I didn't really do anything."

He was silent, his eyes cast downward. "Maybe to you, but to me your words changed everything." His eyes flashed toward me, "I couldn't get your words out of my head, they haunted me until finally I called Jason. The thing is, I haven't talked to Jason for years, not since this whole thing started. Now he's helping me come up with a way out of this. For the first time in ages I have hope for tomorrow. And all that's because of you."

That almost stopped me in my tracks, I'd never though such simple words could have such an effect on someone. I knew words had power but not to this extent.

Nico let out a small laugh, "No need to look so shocked, come on. It's only like another two hour walk."

"What?!"

Jason chuckled, "Nico is only joking, Will, don't worry."

"Oh." That was a relief, I was exhausted and two hours was a long time.

Nico waved Jason away, "Yeah, yeah. We're gonna get a cab soon."

Apparently Nico's idea of soon was half an hour later. We walked mostly in silence, and once we were on a busier street he finally waved down a cab. We all piled in and Nico told him my address, which he evidently still knew.

Handing the driver some cash, he turned to us. "Well, tonight has been interesting."

That was one way to put it, I nodded in agreement, "Defiantly."

Jason shook his head, "I'm surprised it went that smoothly."

Nico tilted his head to the right, "Wow Sparky, glad to know you had faith in me. Besides, this is only step one, it could all still go terribly wrong."

Jason groaned, his head in his hands. Nico met my gaze and smiled. Suddenly the taxi came to a stop, I looked out the window to see why before realizing it was because I was home. I opened the car door and stepped out onto the curb, Nico and Jason following behind me. In a trance I walked to the door, putting my hand on the door knob, I turned it. It was locked so I raised my fist to knock but froze just before doing it.

I turned around and faced the others, they both stood on the sidewalk watching me. Hesitantly, I walked back to them. "Do either of you happen to have a pen?"

They both looked confused but Nico dug into his pocket, "I do actually."

He handed me a simple ball point pen, I took it and then grabbed Nico's hand, I quickly scribbled my number on it before doing the same to Jason.

Jason stared at his hand, but Nico looked at me in shock.

"There," I held out the pen for him, "If you ever need my help again, you'll be able to get a hold of me."

He took the pen and wordlessly put it back into his pocket. "Thank you, Will." His voice was full of emotion, which I wasn't use to, but I smiled.

"No, thank you, and you, Jason." I walked back toward the door and waved, "Goodnight."

Jason waved back, but Nico simply studied me, searching me for answers.

I smiled softly and knocked on the door.

It only took seconds for it to open, my mother standing where the door once was, staring at me in shock. She looked terrible, her hair a mess, black bags under her eyes, droopy like a plant that's gone without water.

"Will." She lurched forward and clung to me griping me like a life line. "Will, I was so scared. Are you okay, sugar? What happened?"

She pulled away from me and ushered me inside, I got a glimpse of outside before she shut the door, the sidewalk was empty. I was led to the kitchen, surprised to see my dad's form asleep on the couch.

Mama gazed at me, "Sugar, what happened? We've been so scared. Your father's been beating himself up about it. What happened?"

I didn't know what to say, so I told her everything. Everything I knew about what happened, leaving out only the stuff that conspired right outside the door. Something just told me not to mention it.

Mama's eyes never left mine as I told my story, listening to every word like it was the last thing I'd ever say.

I was home, I was safe, my family was safe, and everything was good for now. But despite the peaceful serenity, I had made an important decision, I had the choice to go home and leave it at that, leave it all as a bad memory. But I didn't, I signed up to help a practical stranger, and something told me it was the right choice. I'd technically done my part, but I wanted to do more.

And as I drifted off to sleep that night, I knew there there would be danger, I knew it would be hard, but I also knew it would be worth it. And knowing that brought me all the peace I needed.


	7. Chapter 7- Nico

Just a week ago if someone would've told me that I was going to contact Jason, plan to tear down my father's work, and have a random person want to help me, I would do nothing more than laugh. But that all did happen, and as I watched Will reunite with his mother, I couldn't help but feel thankful for the new direction life was now taking me.

Jason walked next to me, still looking at his hand in confusion. I would've laughed at him if I wasn't also pretty confused. Will had no reason to try and help me at all, and yet he volunteered to aid in something the could get him hurt.

Jason finally looked up from his hand, "Well that was unexpected."

Silently agreeing, I glanced at my own hand. "Ready for step two?"

"No."

At least he was telling the truth, better to be true to yourself. "Well too bad, my house isn't far."

Jason stayed quiet, but when he spoke his words were hardly above a whisper, "Would if it doesn't work and your dad finds out?"

"Jason," I sighed, "We can't afford to think like that, and if does go wrong we'll figure it out. It'll be fine."

He didn't look convinced but didn't argue either.

We were only another couple more blocks from my place so we walked in silence, or at least the closest to silence we could manage. It was pretty easier to pick up on Jason's nervousness but I knew him well enough to know addressing it wouldn't help.

As we approached the front door, Jason kept glancing around, perhaps wondering if my father was hiding in the bushes. Or behind a pole. I suppose it wasn't impossible, just highly unlikely.

The door was locked but that wasn't a problem, I always kept a key with me so I got over that obstacle easily. Jason hovered next to me, looking more determined than before.

I gave him some words of consultation before we entered, "It really won't be that difficult, we just have to make sure to do everything right."

He nodded, "It'll be just like the time we pulled a prank on Leo to get him back for all the stuff he's done to us."

"Exactly." Smiling, I pushed the door open.

The house was dark and cold, just like it always was at night. Without Hazel awake, everything always felt dead and sad. Hazel was the life of our house, whenever she was gone or asleep the whole house fell into a dreary state. I knew Jason felt it to as he shivered the moment he stepped in.

"It's the second door on the right, just up the stairs." My voice was a whisper, Father was a light sleeper and waking him up would mark the end of us.

I started creeping toward the stairs, Jason carefully choosing his steps behind me. My steps are light and soundless, something that took me a while to perfect. Finally, we find ourselves in front of the door to Father's office. I twisted the door knob, not surprised when I discovered it to be locked. Luckily, Father had taken great measures to make sure I knew how to pick any lock I come across, he probably never dreamed I would use that skill against him.

Digging the small lock picking set out if my pocket, I crouched down examining what exactly I would need to do for this one. It surprised me how simple the mechanism was, I would've thought it would be much more complex. I suppose it was like that because he had such confidence no one would ever dare try to break in, and that would be his downfall.

The door was opened in less than a minute, nothing more than a generic household lock. I carefully opened the door and walked inside, going straight to the desk. We needed to get out of here as quickly as possible, so I didn't waste a second in picking the lock on the one of his cupboards, the one I know to hold some money.

The cupboard opened smoothly, reveling the whole thing to be filled with stacks of hundred dollar bills. It was a small space but that didn't lessen the impact of seeing all the money. Jason gasped a little from behind me, I shushed him and turned back to the cash. Quickly counting out five thousand dollars worth, I moved to the desk, placing the cash on top of it.

I addressed Jason, "Stay here, I'll be right back. Recount the money, it has to be the exact amount. And find the records, we need the signature, it should be inside a purple file in the cabinet on the right."

"Okay." He picked up the money and I turned back to the door, walking out into the hallway.

My room was just a few doors down so I would only take a minute or two to get what I need and get back to Jason. I slipped into my room, going straight to my bed, I knelt down next to it and and reached underneath. Pulling out an old shoebox, I stood back up.

Opening the lid, my eyes scanned the contents making sure it was the right stuff, it was. I put the the lid back on the box of fake money and went to walk back out to Father's office. My heart stopped when I saw someone standing in my doorway, they were standing there doing nothing but watching me.

The figure shifted and let out a stressed breath, "Hazel."

She was wrapped up in fluffy blanket, her golden eyes flashing in curiosity, "Nico, what are you doing?"

I tried my best not to look like a deer in headlights, "Nothing, Hazel. Go back to sleep."

"No, Nico." She stepped closer to me. "You're always being secretive and I'm tired of it, I want to know what's going on with you."

I sighed, "Hazel please, just trust me. Go back to you're room, it'll be fine okay?"

She huffed, "That's what you always say."

"Please, Hazel." I walked over and hugged her, "Trust me."

"Fine." she stepped away, "But I'm not someone you always have to protect, I'm allowed to help you sometimes too."

I smiled, "I know, I know."

Hazel pulled the blanket tighter over her dark skin, "Goodnight, brother."

"Goodnight, Hazel." I watched her leave and go back to her room before picking the box back up and rushing back to Father's office.

Jason was waiting when I walked back in, his head snapped toward me, "Nico, what took you so long? I was about to go out there myself to see what was happening."

I set the box on the desk, "It's fine, I just ran in to Hazel. I got it worked out though."

Nodding Jason opened the box, "That's good, but we gotta hurry."

Agreeing, I grabbed five thousand dollars of the fake money. It was the realistic stuff they used in movie sets so you wouldn't notice unless you really looked. I hid that in the back, covering up for the money we took. With luck, Father wouldn't notice for a long time and hopefully by then I would be out of the whole equation.

I quickly grabbed the real money and pulled an envelope out of my pocket, I put the money inside and and sealed it in. Grabbing my pen out of my pocket, the same one Will had borrowed earlier, I held a hand out to Jason.

"Signature."

Jason obliged, handing me a sheet of paper with different names and signatures in two neat rows. I scanned it, only taking a second to find the right name. Underneath the name was a sloppy signature, I studied it for a minute before putting my pen to the envelope and copying the imprint perfectly. Another skill I've had to learn.

I handed the paper back to Jason, "Make sure to put it back exactly where it was before."

He nodded and walked over to the cabinet, opening the second drawer and pulling out a purple file.

Looking back down at the envelope, I made sure it all looked perfect. It hasn't taken long to find out how much Father wanted for Will's release, and not too much extra digging after that to discover the connection between Will's father and mine. It made it much simpler that they once worked together, having a signature would really fortify my plan.

Though I'm sure Will didn't know and his father probably didn't like to think about it.

Jason came back over, so I picked up the envelope and handed him the shoebox. "Let's drop this back in my room then get you out of here. You have the letter right?"

"Yep." He pulled out a letter I had forged from the handwriting of one of the people I knew worked in the same warehouse Will was just in.

As long as Father didn't question that person, our plan would work.

The letter was just a simple report, explaining that Lester had stopped by the warehouse and payed off the ransom. So they let Will go and dropped of the money here. It wasn't a particularly difficult plan but everything had to be precise, we had to cover our tracks perfectly.

We put the box back under my bed, shoving it back among all the other miscellaneous items piled there. Before we left the room, I grabbed a small piece of tape from my desk and used it to attach the letter to the envelope of money. Silently we walked back down the stairs and opened the door, finally back outside.

Jason relaxed as I closed the door, letting out a long breath. "Well it has been one long night, what is it now? Three? Four?"

I looked at the night sky, "Proably sometime around four in the morning."

He let out a laugh, "Well I'm defiantly feeling it."

"At least they'll be plenty of taxis out, going around picking up all the drunks."

Jason shook his head and playfully pushed me to the side. "Never took you for an optimist, Neeks."

I smiled, "Never said I was."

We walked over to the street, waiting for a taxi. It wouldn't be hard to call one up but I figured an empty one would drive by soon enough.

"Thanks again, Jason. For all you've done for me, and all you'll probably continue to do despite my protests."

Jason wrapped his arms around me, "Of course, Nico. Anytime."

I indulged in the hug only a second longer before pulling away.

"I think I see a taxi, you ready to go home and sleep?"

Cracking a smile, Jason pulled me into one more short hug before motioning the cab over. "Goodnight, Nico. Don't let the bed bugs bite."

I laughed, something I hadn't been doing a whole lot of before this. "You too, Sparky, you too."

The car drove away and I watched for a bit before turning around and heading back to the house, stopping to put the letter and envelope in our mail box.

Once I was back in my room, I only had to time to kick off my boots before collapsing in bed. I was used to late nights, but today had also been particularly mentally exhausting.

I still couldn't believe where I was now. With my life, Jason, my father, and now even Will I suppose. I hadn't felt so much hope or love in years, and for once I felt like I could really rest. I went to sleep without feeling the overwhelming guilt I'd grow so accustomed to. For the first time in so, so, long I had friends by my side and hope inside me.

And I knew it was only the start, things were good for now. Some of my guilt had been lifted, I was safe, Jason was safe, Will and Hazel were both safe. I had a new plan, a new purpose. But I knew it only the end of a beginning, the beginning of an end.

There was still much to accomplish.

**_E_****_ND OF PART ONE_**

**_This is the end of the first book, don't know when I'll have the next one up, but it'll be some day. Please review, tell me what you think or if there's anything I need to fix! Welp, goodbye for now._**


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